1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, a control method therefor, an image pickup system, an information processing apparatus, a program and a storage medium, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus having a function of reproducing image data and transferring pickup it to an information processing apparatus, a control method therefor, an image pickup system, an information processing apparatus, a program and a storage medium.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional image pickup system is provided with a digital camera and a computer which can be mutually connected. In case a user transfers an image, captured with the digital camera, to the computer, the user connects the digital camera and the computer and executes a transfer operation on the computer.
On the other hand, the digital camera is provided with a liquid crystal display and certain buttons, which are operated by the user to call a menu and execute various settings. An example of the operations is as follows:
1. A “MENU” button is depressed to call a setting menu;
2. A four-way switch button is operated to shift a display, indicating a menu item to be selected, to an item to be selected (hereinafter such display operation is called “focusing” and a state where the display indicates an item is called “focused”);
3. A “SET” button is depressed to decide a focused item; and
4. A function corresponding to the decided item is executed (for example, cf. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-272389).
The above-mentioned menu has a type of storing a previously selected state and a type of not storing a previously selected state, depending on the type of the digital camera. In the former, when the menu is displayed, a predetermined item, for example, an uppermost item, is always focused. In the latter, when the menu is displayed, a previously selected item is focused. For example, in case a second item from the top was selected previously, such second item from the top is focused when the menu is displayed next time.
The former has an advantage of easy understanding as a focused item is always constant when the menu is displayed. On the other hand, in the latter, in case a particular item is often selected, it is probable that such item is focused from the beginning and there can be obtained an advantage of saving the operation of moving the focus.
Also when an item is selected from the menu, there may be displayed a confirmation as to whether such function is to be actually executed. The user selects “OK” to execute the function, or “cancel” to quit executing the function. Such confirmation is principally executed for a function involving a danger of losing data such as an erasure of all the images.
The above-mentioned two methods have respective advantages as explained above, and it is not possible to uniquely determine which method is superior, depending on the user and the situation of use, so that either of the two method has to be selected to perform the menu operation.
Also the confirmation of the execution required when an item is selected from the menu involves a drawback of increasing the number of operations, while it provides an advantage of increasing safety.
Also there has been disclosed a system in which an operation member (button) provided in the aforementioned digital camera is operated by the user to select an image to be transferred and to transfer the selected image to the connected computer. In case of transferring image data for example to an externally connected computer or the like by a user operation of the operation member provided on the digital camera, the user selects an image to be transferred by looking at an image displayed on a display apparatus of the digital camera. Also in order to facilitate the user to find a desired setting item, there has been disclosed an image pickup apparatus in which a currently selected set item is made identifiable and a number of settable items is rendered variable according to the current state of the image pickup apparatus (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-326836).
However, in the aforementioned case of selecting an image to be transferred to the computer under observation of the image displayed on the display apparatus of the digital camera, the transfer may require a certain time if the transferred image data have a large data size, and a next image is not displayed on the display apparatus until such transfer is completed. Therefore, in case the image data transfer results in a long waiting time, the user requesting a rapid response is given a stress.